ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana's President John Atta Mills said on Wednesday his government would never legalise homosexuality, weighing in for the first time on an issue that has led to talk of possible aid cuts by the United Kingdom.

Homosexuality is illegal in 37 African countries, where rights groups say gays are often the targets of violent hate campaigns.
Mills said Ghana, seen as one of Africa's most stable and successful democracies in recent years, was committed to upholding human rights as provided by the constitution. "(But) I as president of this nation, I will never initiate or support any attempts to legalise homosexuality in Ghana," he said.

Britain has warned it will review aid to countries that persecute homosexuals. It has suspended £19 million in aid to Malawi because of concerns including its treatment of gays. Ghana and Uganda have also been linked to the threat.
Ghana, a former British colony, receives around £90 million a year from DFID, Britain's development agency, according to the agency's website.

"Britain made these statements that reflect (its) societal norms and ideals but (it) does not have the right to direct other sovereign nations as to what they should do, especially where their societal norms and ideals are different from those which exist in Prime Minister Cameron's society," Mills said.

In Ghana, the minister in charge of the oil-producing Western region called in July for the arrest of anyone found practising gay sex following local media reports of a supposed increase in homosexuality in the region.

Mills said Ghana recognised the assistance his country received from donors but he said it could not accept it coming with strings attached.

[h=1]Ghana refuses to grant gays' rights despite aid threat[/h] President John Atta Mills says Ghana's values are different from those in the UK

Ghana's President John Atta Mills has rejected the UK's threat to cut aid if he refuses to legalise homosexuality.
Mr Atta Mills said the UK could not impose its values on Ghana and he would never legalise homosexuality.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron said at the weekend that aid would be cut to countries which failed to respect gay rights.
Uganda also rejected the threat, with an official accusing the UK of showing a "bullying mentality".
Most Africans argue that homosexuality violates their religious and cultural beliefs.
Mr Atta Mills said Mr Cameron was entitled to his views, but he did not have the right to "direct to other sovereign nations as to what they should do".
He said Ghana's "societal norms" were different from those in the UK.
"I, as president, will never initiate or support any attempt to legalise homosexuality in Ghana," Mr Atta Mills said.
'No compromise' On Monday, Ugandan presidential adviser John Nagenda said Mr Cameron was showing a "bullying mentality" and Ugandans would not tolerate being treated like "children".

If that aid is going to be tied to things that will destroy the moral fibre of society, do you really want that?
​

Koku Anyidoho Ghana's presidential spokesman

"If they must take their money, so be it," Mr Nagenda said.
Mr Cameron said he had raised the issue of gay rights at last week's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia.
Ending the bans on homosexuality was one of the recommendations of an internal report into the future relevance of the Commonwealth.
Mr Cameron's threat applies only to one type of bilateral aid known as general budget support, and would not reduce the overall amount of aid to any one country, correspondents say.
Ghana received bilateral aid from the UK of about £90m ($144m) during the last financial year, of which about £36m was as general budget support.
Mr Atta Mills' communications chief Koku Anyidoho told the BBC the government would not compromise its morals for money.
"If that aid is going to be tied to things that will destroy the moral fibre of society, do you really want that?" he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
Mr Cameron said he had spoken with "a number of African countries" and that more pressure had been applied by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, who deputised for him during parts of the Commonwealth summit.
Some 41 nations within the 54-member Commonwealth have laws banning homosexual acts.
Many of these laws are a legacy of British colonial rule, correspondents say.

Ghana has guts to contest Mr. Cameron's sentiments since it has its oil reserves already under business which plays great role in boosting their national income thereby minimizing their foreign dependency for financial wherewithal. As we speak today, just only five percent of its annual budget is coming from foreign aid while the remaining bulk is beefed up by domestic revenues. Their situation is therefore entirely different from ours in which case almost half of our government expenditure has to come from donors, UK being among them. From that point of view, it is very clear that we do not have any alternative but to bow to Cameron's opinions if we are to continue to be UK's beneficiaries.

Ghana has guts to contest Mr. Cameron's sentiments since it has its oil reserves already under business which plays great role in boosting their national income thereby minimizing their foreign dependency for financial wherewithal. As we speak today, just only five percent of its annual budget is coming from foreign aid while the remaining bulk is beefed up by domestic revenues. Their situation is therefore entirely different from ours in which case almost half of our government expenditure has to come from donors, UK being among them. From that point of view, it is very clear that we do not have any alternative but to bow to Cameron's opinions if we are to continue to be UK's beneficiaries.

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And that there is the question. Should Tanzania continue to receive the 'aid'? who benefit from it? I think we should get realist and realize that the aids only benefit people who define what the aid will be used for, and how that will be done. Other persons to benefit from it are the 'managers' of the funds. It is clear to me that the average mwananchi does not benefit from this type of aid that comes with economic anti-domestic production policies and now even ant-ivalues.
I have nothing against homosexuals (I DECIDED to tolerate them because they tolerate me) but I refuse to be forced to support homosexuality because of money. When you throw away your values for money it has a name. at the best it is called corruption, but in fact it is prostitution.

Ghana has guts to contest Mr. Cameron's sentiments since it has its oil reserves already under business which plays great role in boosting their national income thereby minimizing their foreign dependency for financial wherewithal. As we speak today, just only five percent of its annual budget is coming from foreign aid while the remaining bulk is beefed up by domestic revenues. Their situation is therefore entirely different from ours in which case almost half of our government expenditure has to come from donors, UK being among them. From that point of view, it is very clear that we do not have any alternative but to bow to Cameron's opinions if we are to continue to be UK's beneficiaries.

And that there is the question. Should Tanzania continue to receive the 'aid'? who benefit from it? I think we should get realist and realize that the aids only benefit people who define what the aid will be used for, and how that will be done. Other persons to benefit from it are the 'managers' of the funds. It is clear to me that the average mwananchi does not benefit from this type of aid that comes with economic anti-domestic production policies and now even ant-ivalues.
I have nothing against homosexuals (I DECIDED to tolerate them because they tolerate me) but I refuse to be forced to support homosexuality because of money. When you throw away your values for money it has a name. at the best it is called corruption, but in fact it is prostitution.

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The truth is that ties between our leaders and their benefactors are more strong than their closeness to wananchi is. The importance of a common citizen exists only during polls and this is when politicians frantically do anything just to sweep back into power, thereafter the story remains the same. The government in particular tends to be actively listening to Cameron and his partners for the sake of gaining their help which in turn is of no help to an average person. So even if we do have different views and opinions pertaining to foreign assistance, who do you think will share with them those ideas?

And that there is the question. Should Tanzania continue to receive the 'aid'? who benefit from it? I think we should get realist and realize that the aids only benefit people who define what the aid will be used for, and how that will be done. Other persons to benefit from it are the 'managers' of the funds. It is clear to me that the average mwananchi does not benefit from this type of aid that comes with economic anti-domestic production policies and now even ant-ivalues.
I have nothing against homosexuals (I DECIDED to tolerate them because they tolerate me) but I refuse to be forced to support homosexuality because of money. When you throw away your values for money it has a name. at the best it is called corruption, but in fact it is prostitution.

Click to expand...

If you tolerate gays because they tolerate you, I would then assume you support their liaisons being de-criminalized?

ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana's President John Atta Mills said on Wednesday his government would never legalise homosexuality, weighing in for the first time on an issue that has led to talk of possible aid cuts by the United Kingdom.

Homosexuality is illegal in 37 African countries, where rights groups say gays are often the targets of violent hate campaigns.
Mills said Ghana, seen as one of Africa's most stable and successful democracies in recent years, was committed to upholding human rights as provided by the constitution. "(But) I as president of this nation, I will never initiate or support any attempts to legalise homosexuality in Ghana," he said.

Britain has warned it will review aid to countries that persecute homosexuals. It has suspended £19 million in aid to Malawi because of concerns including its treatment of gays. Ghana and Uganda have also been linked to the threat.
Ghana, a former British colony, receives around £90 million a year from DFID, Britain's development agency, according to the agency's website.

"Britain made these statements that reflect (its) societal norms and ideals but (it) does not have the right to direct other sovereign nations as to what they should do, especially where their societal norms and ideals are different from those which exist in Prime Minister Cameron's society," Mills said.

In Ghana, the minister in charge of the oil-producing Western region called in July for the arrest of anyone found practising gay sex following local media reports of a supposed increase in homosexuality in the region.

Mills said Ghana recognised the assistance his country received from donors but he said it could not accept it coming with strings attached.